Who is Marvin Harrison Jr.'s father? Marvin Harrison was Hall of Fame WR for the Indianapolis Colts
Expectations greeted Marvin Harrison Jr. from the moment he arrived at Ohio State as a freshman in 2021.
He had an impeccable high school pedigree, having helped lead regional powerhouse St. Joseph’s Preparatory School to three Pennsylvania state championships while finishing with the most receiving yards and touchdowns in Philadelphia Catholic League history. He was a four-star recruit and a top-100 player nationally in the 2021 class, according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, giving Ohio State another talented piece in coach Ryan Day’s pass-oriented offense. At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds coming out of high school, he looked the part of a future star.
Harrison was the rare top recruit to not only live up to his immense promise, but exceed it, emerging in his final two years with the Buckeyes as likely the most productive and talented wide receiver in college football. In 2023, what would be his final year at Ohio State, he won the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the top receiver in college football, and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, earning both achievements despite his team’s underwhelming quarterback play.
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In reality, greatness was expected of him long before he first stepped foot in Columbus. When you carry the name he does, hope and hype are occupational hazards.
As Harrison readies to be a top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which will begin Thursday night in Detroit, here’s a look at Harrison’s lineage and some notable numbers from his time at Ohio State:
Marvin Harrison Jr. dad
Between his name and his exceptional football abilities, there’s an obvious question that accompanies virtually any mention of Harrison, one that the wideout and anyone remotely connected to Ohio State football has undoubtedly gotten familiar with answering over the past several years.
Yes, Marvin Harrison Jr. is the son of Marvin Harrison.
The elder Harrison was one of the best wide receivers of his generation, a favorite target of Peyton Manning over the course of his Indianapolis Colts career.
During his 13-year NFL career, the entirety of which was spent with the Colts, Harrison was an eight-time Pro Bowler, a three-time first team All Pro, a two-time NFL receiving yardage leader and was an instrumental force helping the Colts win the Super Bowl in 2007, the franchise’s only title since moving to Indianapolis. He finished his career with 1,102 catches for 14,580 yards and 128 touchdowns, ranking him first in Colts history in each of those three statistical categories. Harrison is ninth among NFL players all-time in career receiving yards and fifth in career touchdown catches.
The 114 career touchdowns from Manning to Harrison is the most in NFL history for a quarterback and wide receiver tandem.
“The very first preseason game, my very first pass, I threw a five-yard pass and Marvin Harrison ran 48 yards for a touchdown,” Manning said in 2016. “I remember thinking, ‘The NFL is easy. You just throw a short pass and Marvin Harrison will run for touchdowns.’ Which is pretty much what he did for the entire time we played together. I think many records will be broken — most of my records will be broken — I don’t believe that record that me and Marvin have of throwing the most touchdowns together will ever be broken.”
Harrison was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016, marking a formal end to his football exploits and leaving his son with a lengthy list of accomplishments to one day chase.
“He's taught me pretty much everything I know, more so the mentality of the game and how to approach the game," Marvin Jr. said in 2023. "I try to work as hard as he did. He obviously set the bar very high, and I have big shoes to fill, but I'm trying to get there."
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Marvin Harrison Jr. height
Harrison was measured at 6-foot-3 at the 2024 NFL Draft combine in Indianapolis. He was listed on Ohio State’s 2023 roster at 6-4.
Marvin Harrison Jr. weight
Harrison was weighed at 209 pounds at the combine, up from the 205 pounds he was listed at during his final season at Ohio State.
Marvin Harrison Jr. stats
In his three years at Ohio State, Harrison had 155 receptions for 2,613 yards and 31 touchdowns, along with four carries for 58 yards and a touchdown.
Here’s a season-by-season look at Harrison’s production:
2021: 11 receptions, 139 yards, 3 touchdowns
2022: 77 receptions, 1,263 yards, 14 touchdowns
2023: 67 receptions, 1,211 yards, 14 touchdowns
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Who is Marvin Harrison Jr.'s father, Hall of Fame NFL WR Marvin Harrison?
